8 Travel-Friendly Gadgets You Need To Know About

Traveling for business can be exciting, but it can also be stressful. Experienced business
travelers are always looking for ways to make work-related trips go more smoothly.

Fortunately, there are some amazing new gadgets -- covering everything from securing your luggage to setting up an internet connection at your work destination -- that can take much of the hassle out of any business trip.

To make your next business trip less of a pain and more of a pleasure, here are 8 gadgets you need to know about:

1. G-RO: A New Generation of Luggage

Whether they’re traveling around the block or around the world, any business traveler will tell you that the first thing you need is a really good piece of luggage -- especially when you are rushing through a crowded airport to catch a flight.

** RCB **; Flickr

Startup Travel-Light recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for a unique luggage system called G-RO. The product provides a sleek, ergonomic solution set exactly for the business traveler’s needs.

Based on innovative engineering and design concepts -- including large, axle-less wheels -- G-RO has successfully overcome the challenges posed by the cardinal issues of durability, affordability, interior and exterior volume and weight, delivering a superior luggage system for today’s on-the-go travelers.

2. AirBolt: A Travel Lock That Teaches Your Old Bag New Tricks

You’ve packed your bags and now it’s time to secure them. AirBolt, an Australian startup launching soon on Kickstarter, simplifies traveling with a travel-sized smart lock that syncs to the owner’s smartphone. With AirBolt, there is no key to lose or forget. Using Bluetooth technology, the compact AirBolt smart lock syncs with an application on the owner’s iOS or Android smartphone to unlock your luggage. Best of all, it’s TSA accepted.

The idea for AirBolt originated after Kabir Sidhu, AirBolt’s CEO and founder, had a bad experience with an expensive TSA-approved travel lock that just wouldn’t open for him. Knowing there had to be a better way of securing your luggage by capitalizing on today’s technologies, he created AirBolt, a travel lock that makes travel a little more stress-free.

3. SkyRoam: Stay Connected Anywhere in the World

After a long flight, you’ve finally arrived at your destination. The first thing you’ll probably do is open up your laptop and connect to the internet. A reliable mobile connection is an integral part of our lives, and travelers expect to keep their gadgets online as they roam the globe.

Skyroam provides a mobile hotspot for travelers, giving them the freedom to connect in 65 countries without dealing with the hassles of costly roaming charges, unlocking phones, unsecure public Wi-Fi, complicated metered data schemes or fiddling with local SIMs or SIM stickers.

“We believe people should be able to travel the world freely and connect all their devices without worrying about costs,” said Skyroam CEO Jing Liu. “Our hotspot gives on-demand coverage in over 60 countries at very competitive prices, making us the best and easiest way to get online when traveling for business or leisure.”

4. Belle Hop Alarm: Feel Safer in Your Hotel Room

You’ve arrived at your hotel and can finally relax… or so you thought.

For anyone who can never quite get a good night's sleep in a hotel room due to security worries, Belle Hop Travel Door Alarm is a gadget that can help put those fears to rest. Its high-pitched 91-decibel alarm will alert you if your hotel room door is opened -- just don't forget to disengage it before you answer the door for room service.

5. Scrubba: The Portable Washing Machine

One of the biggest challenges for the business traveler is laundry. Hotel laundry services are costly, and no one has the time to find a local laundromat in an unfamiliar city.

The Scrubba wash bag, created by Australia-based Calibre8 Pty Ltd., is a pocket-sized device for washing clothes anywhere, at any time for free -- perfect for traveling, camping, trekking, dorm rooms or if you’re on a cruise.

Using no electricity, minimal water and relying on hundreds of nodules inside that form an “internal washboard,” Scrubba can also be worn as a backpack. Wash your clothes, then simply fold it up to fit in your pocket when you’re finished.

7. NapAnywhere: Giving Travelers a Rest

For tired and uncomfortable passengers crammed into tight airline seats, this cleverly designed sleep aid results in some much-needed shut eye. Small enough to fit into a carry-on, briefcase or medium-sized purse and weighing less than 8 ounces, NapAnywhere is a travel pillow designed for comfort and portability.

The resulting origami-like twists and turns ultimately enable the product to support the weight of your head and, consequently, relax your neck muscles. The fabric-wrapped disc has a metallic alloy core that is embedded in soft foam, and with a the provided strap, NapAnywhere stays in place when you doze off.

7. Trakdot: Never Lose Your Luggage Again

When traveling for business, there’s no time to lose. Unfortunately, luggage does get lost from time to time. With Trakdot Luggage Tracker, however, travelers can keep track of their things every step (or mile) of the way.

The palm-sized device stays inside your suitcase during travel. Trakdot employs newly patented micro-electronics and ground-based cellular telephone technologies to track luggage and report its location to users. While in flight, the device shuts off and enters “airplane mode.” After landing, Trakdot “awakens” and notifies you of your luggage’s whereabouts, making it easier for you to locate your things and have them returned to you sooner.

8. Grit-It: A Gadget’s Best Friend

Last, but certainly not least, you’re going to need something to store your many gadgets in when traveling. Cocoon’s Grid-It is just the thing you need.

As it’s name suggests, Grid-It is a simple organization system made up of dozens of rubberized elastic bands that form a grid. The patent-pending object retention system is designed to keep various gadgets and devices firmly in place during travel. It’s slim and also features a rear zippered compartment for additional storage.

Business travel will always will be stressful, that’s simply its nature. However, with a little help from some innovative gadgets like these, business travel can be a pleasure.

What about you? What are some other gadgets designed to take the hassle out of traveling for work? Let me know in the comments.